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News Release

February 5, 2018Washington, D.C.

Today the Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, met with Kirstjen Nielsen, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security in Washington D.C. to discuss joint Canada-U.S. cooperation on a number of issues ranging from national security to cyber security, preclearance, opioids, cannabis and irregular migration.

Minister Goodale and Secretary Nielsen reaffirmed their governments’ joint commitment to securely and efficiently move people and goods across our shared border, making the border thinner to trade, not thicker. Both committed to continuing to look for new ways to improve the flow of legitimate trade and travel to help create jobs and foster economic growth.

This work starts with building on our long history of successful passenger preclearance. Both reaffirmed their commitment to ratify the Agreement on Land, Rail, Marine and Air Transport Preclearance between the Government of Canada and the Government of the United States of America, which will enable expansion of preclearance operations. They also discussed next steps to realize the full benefits of the Entry/Exit initiative, which allows the departure of travellers to be confirmed without causing any delays at the border. The initiative will help better manage our border, combat cross-border threats and ensure the integrity of our immigration systems.

As well, Minister Goodale and Secretary Nielsen underscored the importance of close cooperation on national security and cybersecurity to safeguard both countries from ever-evolving threats and to strengthen our resilience to them.

Quotes

“Canada and the United States share the world’s longest secure border in the world and enjoy a productive and mutually beneficial trading relationship. During my meeting with Secretary Nielsen we had an opportunity to discuss how our countries can continue to work together to expand preclearance to improve the flow of legitimate trade and travel across our borders, work collaboratively to protect our national security interests, and ensure the integrity of our borders while upholding our international obligations.”

- The Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

“The Department of Homeland Security remains committed to raising global security standards in partnership with our strong allies in Canada,” said Secretary Nielsen. “Today, we reaffirmed our joint commitment to counterterrorism and cybersecurity, as well as managing our shared border. We will continue to work together to ensure the safety and security of our countries, and build upon the successes of our many joint efforts.”

- Kirstjen Nielsen, Secretary of Homeland Security

Quick Facts

Canada and the United States share the world’s longest secure border, over which approximately 400,000 people, and goods and services worth $2.4 billion, cross daily.

Canada and the United States share one of the largest trading relationships in the world. Canada is the largest market for the United States – larger than China, Japan, and the UK combined.

Thanks to preclearance, which has existed since 1952 and serves almost 13 million air passengers every year, Pearson Airport has become the fourth largest port of air entry into the United States after New York’s JFK, Miami and Los Angeles International Airports.

Canada is the number one export destination for most American states, and cross-border trade and investment support nearly 9 million jobs in the United States.

Canada and the United States share values and interests on a range of international issues, including human rights, democracy, development, defence, nuclear non-proliferation and counterterrorism.